Pries vows change

By Hugh Pries | Sunday, July 20, 2008

I read with interest Paul Macek’s letter to the editor extolling the virtues of Mike Walton. (“County Attorney Walton is doing fine,” July 15) Please note that Macek is a long-time Bill Davis associate, long-time Mike Walton friend, long-time Democrat, and long-time criminal defense attorney. Obviously he wants to continue the business-as-usual, let’s-make-a-deal attitude and atmosphere pervading the office.

What he fails to mention is that while certain hard working assistants in the office have more than 270 open cases per month on their plate, Walton probably has less than 50. How do I know? Because I served as an assistant in the office and 270 was my tally and 50 was Waltons tally as first assistant.

With the disparity of cases and the resulting free time available, why then do we have problems with lack of proper supervision, acquittals of violent defendants for failure to secure witnesses and the rest of the numerous failures chronicled by this paper? But to be fair to Macek, he does not work in that office.

Change in this office is long overdue. I will bring that change.

Hugh Pries

Bettendorf